Authorities have released more information about the rescue of a grandmother and her three grandchildren who became lost while hiking in South Carolina.
According to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), one of the children called 911 around 6:50 p.m. local time on Monday, Nov. 24, reporting that he and three others — an adult woman and two other juveniles — were lost in the area of Caesar’s Head.
Officials later identified the missing hikers as grandmother Tonda Michelin and her three grandchildren: Melody Bangs, 14; Michael Lawton, 11; and Dale Moser, 9.
Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said Lawton told dispatchers during the call that his phone battery was down to just “4 percent” when he reached out for help, according to USA Today.
“I’m pretty sure they were using their phones to try and find their way out,” Lewis said.
GCSO Lieutenant Ryan Flood said that after the 911 call, officials located a white Nissan at Raven Falls that matched the description of the group’s vehicle, according to USA Today.
Fire crews reported that a K-9 team with the sheriff’s office picked up a positive scent on a trail Monday night, ABC affiliate WLOS-TV reported. The search effort was briefly halted at one point due to heavy fog.
The hikers were ultimately “located safely” by search and rescue teams on the Bill Kimbrell Trail on Tuesday, Nov. 25, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office previously said.
Lewis explained that the group was found near a “pretty treacherous” ravine along the trail, according to USA Today.
Michelin was described as slightly dehydrated when she and the three children were found, Lewis added.
“With Thanksgiving a couple of days away, I’m sure there will be a lot of conversation and a lot of things to thank the Lord for,” the sheriff said.
